Life Of War

Chapter 88

"Situation's almost under control out there. How's it going in here?" Anakin raced inside to check on us.

"I'm still trying to decrypt Echos cerebral interface. Until I do, we cannot disconnect him from this computer system." Tech explained the situation at hand.

"How is he, Rex?" Anakin turned to his Captain gently.

"He's too weak to walk. Very disoriented. Doesn't even remember how he got here. He remembers being at the Citadel, but that's about it." Rex stood up and spoke quietly.

"Any word on the extraction squad?" Anakin questioned us.

"We called it in, but no word back." Rex shook his head as we turned to see Wrecker smashing droids in the doorway.

"Well, that's no surprise. We knew when we got into this we'd be on our own." Anakin reminded, Rex and I nodding along in understanding.

"It's gonna get more difficult to get out of here." Hunter called back as they were pushed back into the room and shut the doors, blocking off the droids. "There are several squads of droids closing in." The droids attempted to open the doors while Hunter and Crosshair tried to keep them shut. Wrecker helped them hold it as they sealed it shut completely.

"Enemy approaching. Droids... lots of 'em." Crosshair looked through his heat sensor.

"How long can you hold them off?" I questioned.

"How long do you need?" Hunter asked back.

"Tech, how much longer?" Anakin urged.

"Not yet. I need more time." Tech claimed as the droids began to cut through the first door, pushing Hunter and Crosshair back to close the next door and begin sealing it. "I've got it. We can unplug him now." Tech reported as Echo turned around to look give us easier access to pull out the wires attached to him. Rex began to pull out the plugs of his brother while I held him up before he could fall.

"I got you" I nodded to him.

"Rex?" Echo looked up at him.

"What is it?" Rex worried, kneeling to his level.

"I got a big headache." Echo laughed slightly with a cough.

"Better to feel something than nothing, old buddy." Rex reminded with a small smile.

"It's a touching reunion, guys, but we need to get out of here now." Anakin urged us all once more.

"There's an exhaust vent that leads to the cooling systems right there." Echo pointed up as he coughed some more.

"They've breached the front door. It won't be long before they're through the second." Hunter called back to us with warning. Echo began to use his now electronic plug arm to hack the system and open the hatch above.

"That should get it open." Echo said as the vents were opened and we looked up.

"Great. Now how do we get up there?" Crosshair asked, pointing our obvious question.

"I can help with that." Wrecker claimed proudly.

"Wait, what? Wrecker, what are you doing?" He grabbed Hunter and threw him up where he grabbed onto the sides of the vent. "A heads-up would've been nice!" Hunter called back down before he began his climb. Tech was tossed up with Echo on his back after Hunter, climbing the two of them out and into the ventilation shafts.

"Whoa!" Rex called as he was thrown up by Wrecker. Wrecker moved to help me up but Anakin waved him off casually.

"It's okay, Wrecker. We've got this." Anakin claimed. Wrecker stepped of to the side to present us forward. "After you" Anakin tells me before I jump up and start climbing behind Rex. Next Anakin jumps back and looks down to see Wrecker running off."What are you doing?" Anakin shouted down.